User:Dariusmehta/sandbox

Homi Maneck Mehta was born in Mumbai (Bombay) on 1 April 1871 to poor Parsi parents. Through hard work and perseverance he became a millionaire through Textiles, Banking and Insurance. He started working at the age of 17 in the Bombay Mint at a wage of Rs 20 a month (25p). He managed to save enough to travel to the UK and there he gained his knowledge of textiles as an operative in the Lancashire Cotton Industry. He also attended engineering classes during his apprenticeship.

In his mid twenties Homi started business life in Mumbai. He slowly attained controlling interests in a number of cotton mills in Mumbai as well as in the State of Baroda. Apart from his own mills in Navsari and Gaekwar, he was managing director of two Indian Insurance Companies and also of chemical and sugar companies.

Despite being a busy industrialist, Homi Mehta had time for public and philanthropic work. In 1930 he was elected to the Council of State at New Delhi for three years. He represented India at the League of Nations in 1933-34 and in 1935 he represented the employers of India at the International Labour Conference in Geneva.

Homi Mehta was knighted by King George V in 1933 and received further honours in 1941 and 1946 of the KBE and KCIE respectively.

In 1941 he was invited to the Presidency of the Bombay National Democratic Union which body strongly supported the War effort. Sir Homi was often in negotiations to ensure that Indian Troops received the same advantages and treatment as all other Allied Troops.

In 1944 Sir Homi chaired the Bombay War Gift Fund and later after the war the Victory Thanksgiving Fund. He and his committees were responsible for raising £4m in total.

Sir Homi was killed in the Pan American Constellation crash in April 1948 at Shannon Airport in which 30 persons perished and there was only one survivor.